Wintle?s World of Angling

I noticed Mr Wintle isnt going to be fishing any Northern rivers.
How is it that when the top anglers do occasionaly come up north, they only ever fish the Swale? Whats wrong with the river Tees? I would love to see a top angler fish the Tees at Darlington, just to see how what tactics they use and what they catch. It has a good head of coarse fish, so why dont they fish it?
I know - it's that North/South divide thing aint it?
Or is it because they know its easier to catch fish down south,even on a bad day, you dont blank. Whereas if they came to the Tees, all the locals would put em to shame??

There's a challenge for a top angler to take up!! I bet no-one accepts it

Jason,

Sometimes somethings are best kept secret.

It's not all milk and honey on southern rivers (not that I've fished that many) sometimes the image we get up here from the angling press isn't quite true.

Take Chris Bishop's latest Fens article he fished a number of different venues on openning day in an area I'd consider a Mecca for pike fishing and didn't get a follow, and he knows what he's doing. It made me feel better when I'd thrashed the Tees to a foam at Worrsal the other day with the only take come from a 2lb perch.

I think if so called top anglers fished the Tees they'd do very well, and it would be interesting to see. However like I said some times it best kept quiet.

Jason,
Although I live in the south I am originally from the midlands and have lived in the north. You are wrong in thinking that southern rivers are easier. I would say they are harder but the average size of fish is bigger. Mind you having read what you said about your local chub I am not so sure now. I do an exchange visit with a mate in the midlands most years. Although we catch bigger fish down here we always catch more up there. The furthest north Mark mentions is the Ouse and I have offered to take him there. Perhaps if you E_mail him he may like to visit your river.

Jason,

I'd love to fish the northern rivers, especially the Trent, BUT with no expenses account it would cost me a fortune in petrol alone so I'm sticking to round trips of less than 300 miles with no overnight stays. A 3 day trip to the Wye last year cost nearly ?200 with B&B, petrol and bait though worth it for the fabulous barbel.

Similarly I'd love to go to the Game Fair next weekenk but it's a 600 mile round trip, and I find that kind of driving too taxing nowadays. In my younger matchfishing days we did day trips to the Trent and Nene, but with a high power car and no speed cameras....

So, no hard feelings about your waters at all just restricted by geography I'm afraid.
Mark

Fabulous start Mark!

There's some superb info on the nature of the southern chalk streams in there. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Looking forward to the next helping!

Regards Chris

Absolutely teriffic atricle and I'm looking forward to future installments.

Loved the amout of detail about the character of the rivers themselves and the relevant clubs etc.

BUT.........

Of all the rivers mentioned none are Northern rivers.

I used to live near Marlow and the Thames and then moved to West Yorkshire. I'd got to the point on the Thames where I knew where to go and how fish to catch what I was after and more often than not got it right. Chub for example were fairly easy to catch and Barbel were too providing the location was spot on.

Following the move to Yorkshire (11 years ago now) it took a long time to get used to the different charter of the local rivers, Nidd, Swale, Ouse etc. and sucessfully locating fish in these rivers again.

The same sort of article / series would be very much welcome for Yorkshire's rivers.

I've long since given up the hope that Andy Little (of Angler's Mail fame) will fish anywhere North of Watford !